"Martin has a unique perspective on life aided by an imaginary friend Sean Murphy [played by O'Dowd]," said Sky.

"Martin's imagination comes into play both in his childish drawings, which come alive through animation, and in the ridiculous schemes he comes up with, against Sean's better judgment. With Sean's help, Martin negotiates life as the youngest in a chaotic, scatter-brained family."

Filming will begin in O'Dowd's hometown of Boyle and Dublin in the new year, for broadcast on Sky1 next summer. Auditions are currently under way to find an actor to play the lead role.

The six-part series is a co-production with Sprout Films, Hod Cod Productions and Grand Pictures.

O'Dowd said: "Moone Boy is a fantastic comedy which centres on a 10-year-old boy who has an imaginary friend. It is set in the late 80s/early 90s and all of the experiences are ones that I had.

"It's a really funny show which has loads of animation and a number of laughs that I hope people will love. It was essential to film in Ireland and what was great about Sky was they wanted us to film here and they were really supportive. That wouldn't have happened at any other channel."

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.